DCPS staff would be unhinged if they DIDN'T spend time on DCUM - it's a great source of informal parent discussion about the schools.

Also, DCPS has on occasion openly posted official announcements here, apparently knowing that parents might see it here first. Sounds like a good management strategy to me.

Of course, I can't help but wonder if the "unhinged" comment is from a DCPS employee trying, for some reason, to discourage posters from thinking DCPS ever checks out DCUM.

Freakanomics describes a significant number of people that misspell and their child's first name. I wouldn't hold it against anyone who was tangentially associated with EH or attended EH and they used an "s". Big deal word cop.

You gotta be kidding about the s added to Hine. Look, do you honey and if E-H is the place for your child then saunter on. Now my last newsletter from Eastern showcased only ONE child who had the HIGHEST honors out of the entire inauguration freshmen class. I am readily assured that student who achieved such a lofty goal was a former 8th grader from Caesar Chavez. I am not gossipying that former E-H students are not doing their best at Eastern. But I know for a fact that many of Eastern's current discipline problems were attributed to those students who were promoted from E-H.

Furthermore, you don't want it. Slow your roll and stay in your lane.

Since when is 40% acceptable on any level and/or tier?

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know anything about Eliot-Hine Middle School?

EH has enormous potential. Its location near Eastern, its neighborhood, its feeders are improving, etc.

EH is 40% proficienct

It is mid-level DCPS middle school. Deal, Hardy and Stuart Hobson are two tiers above EH.

Nearby Stuart Hobson is being modernized, and will continue to attract a stronger cohort.

EH student culture and climate needs improvement. Stuart Hobson is mellower.

EH has only four periods/day, to minimize disruption.

EH feeders are ~40% proficient.

EH's football team beat SH soundly (Jefferson won the title).

Demographics (gentrification) may improve EH in four years.

Hine Junior High School used to be located in the now empty Hine building at 335 8th St SE (adjacent to the flea market area of Eastern Market) before it merged with Eliot Junior High School behind Eastern HS a couple of years ago, across from the Stadium Armory Metro station. The following link doesn't make that clear: http://www.publicschoolreview.com/school_ov/school_id/16706
The Hine Junior High School building is slated for redevelopment, another controversy.
There is no 's' in any of the mentions. However, there is a Hines Middle School in Newport News, VA: http://hines.nn.k12.va.us/

You know what? The original poster called it Hines. I have also noticed that families who used to attend Hine before it was merged with Eliot call it Hines, almost like a verbal habit in the community. So the people saying Hines may in fact know more about and have a longer history with the school than any of you do. Sheesh. So judgemental.

Anonymous wrote:The "hines" poster is the only one who sounds authentic to me.

The others sound like DCPS employees trying to build excitement for the school and then blowing it by making fun of a citizen who added an "s" to "hine" as if that's hilarious.

Actually, PP used "Hines" at least a half dozen times. It wasn't a typo. Secondly, I also think it's hilarious when paranoid folks start raving about "DCPS employees" lurking all over DCUM. Utterly unhinged.

My guess is that "the others" are parents and neighbors who either send their kid to E-H, or are rooting for it to continue to improve in the future. And, yes, someone who is so verbose and reflexively negative about a school they're so unfamiliar with they can't even get the name straight is pretty damned funny.

The "hines" poster is the only one who sounds authentic to me.

The others sound like DCPS employees trying to build excitement for the school and then blowing it by making fun of a citizen who added an "s" to "hine" as if that's hilarious.

(FYI it's "Hine" not "Hines", obviously not someone who knows much about this...)

Thank you, PP. I was laughing about this, too.

It was a bit like listening to a long-winded lecture by someone on the "Einstein's Fear of Relativity" or "Newton's Invention of Claculous"

Anonymous wrote:As you know advanced students can be part of DCYO and not be enrolled in either school.

Most certainly, but for my future middle schooler it would sure be nice to connect so seamlessly from school to music on Tuesdays!

What I like about the Eliot-Hine (FYI it's "Hine" not "Hines", obviously not someone who knows much about this...) and Eastern at its back - both on track to becoming IB certified and hopefully well working together - is the potential for advanced placement and other collaborations that require some scale. I for one know one gifted current Eliot-Hine middle schooler who I see regularly on the Eastern campus. That's good news!

The motivation for IB is not worth the paper it is written on, if the funding is not perpetual. This interests meeting has been going on every since Dr. Janey was the Superintendent and here we are on our second Chancellor. The investement in the coordinator is nothing as that personnel spot can be absorbed if the program does not materialize. I have all the hope in the world for the IB program to come to Eliot-Hines but there's also an IB program suggestion for Jefferson too.

I am not sure what other middle-school has an IB interestes but the only high-schools that have active IB programs are Banneker and Wilson. Eastern is on the horizon to incorporate IB but it would take more than IB to have my child enter into Eastern now and forever more.

That lure of the DCYO is such a bogus bit of information. DCYO was at Cooldige for almost 50 years and the history books have not recorded Cooldige forever having an outstanding orchestra program. Yes, they have a music program but that is pretty much attributed to an ET-15 who teahes marching, jazz and drum-line.

Currently the DCYO and the Eastern music programs are like ships passing the night. Remember Eastern has a long rich history of a successful instrumental program prior to the DCYO moving into the building.

As you know advanced students can be part of DCYO and not be enrolled in either school.

(Someone must have this stuff in their clip board. So what's your point fellow?!)

OP, you're right to develop an interest in Eliot-Hine. I predict that before long, this will be the "new deal" and am prepared to put in my share of work to make that happen. So here is what I know: Eliot-Hine received a lot of attention under the outgoing Rhee effort to place DCPS middle schools back on the map. The PTA's of different feeder and other Ward 6 schools worked out a plan to align Eliot-Hine's performance and direction with the expectations of parents in the neighborhood and across the city looking for a well respected middle school that has a critical mass to offer what a modern middle school should offer, to replicate the experience of Deal essentially. (Go here to read up on the broader effort: http://dc.gov/DCPS/Parents+and+Community/Community+Initiatives/Building+on+Momentum:+Ward+6+Middle+Schools)
Eliot-Hine is now on track to becoming a IB (International Baccalaureate) program. The IB coordinator there has it together and is very motivated to make this happen. Although with still a lot of room to grow and diversify, Eliot-Hine has a broad range of offerings and extra-curriculars. It boasts a renovated campus, very nice facilities really (go check it out!) and a reasonably involved current parent community and an even more involved future parent community. It is back to back with newly opened Eastern, with the two principals working together to offer means for high performing students to press ahead. Eastern, with its fully renovated facilities, also houses the DC Youth Orchestra Program, where advanced musicians can take instrumental music and orchestra on Tuesdays and beginners take lessons on Saturdays.
In visiting Eliot-Hine, be sure to also inquire with principal Tynika Young, about some of the school's challenges and legacies, which include a recent principal turn-over, an effort to redirect its school culture toward increased responsibility and citizenship of its students, notwithstanding some gains, a cohort of students from feeder schools who did not consistently enjoy the support at the elementary school level that today's elementary schoolers have, and its merger with Hine a few years back.
Here are additional resources of interest:
- http://www.eliothinemiddleschool.org/
- http://chpspo.org/
- http://profiles.dcps.dc.gov/Eliot-Hine+Middle+School
CHPSPO can put you in touch with the support and efforts regarding this school if more than the school itself is of interest.

WARD SIX MS ENROLLMENT/CAPACITY
SH – 428 / 460
EH - 284 / 850
Jeff – 279 / 900

IN-BOUNDS STUDENTS
SH - 90
EH – 94
Jeff – 151

* Ward Six has capacity for 2,210 students in three middle schools.
* Ward Six middle schools use 45% of their capacity.
* Ward Six has 991 total students enrolled.
* Ward Six has 335 in-bounds students.
* Ward Six students fill 15% of the Ward Six middle school capacity.
* Most Ward Six middle school students reside outside Ward Six.
* All data w/o Shaw MS.

Eliot Hine and Jefferson have 300 students in buildings with capacity for 800 students. Stuart Hobson is enrolled near capacity.

Stuart Hobson is the second best middle school out of 14 in DCPS at 67% proficient. Jefferson and Eliot Hine are stronger than most middle schools, nonetheless under 50% proficient.

SH is up for phase one modernization in 2012. Jefferson in 2013, and EH in 2014. Each school is budgeted ~$15 million for a phase one modernization, yet it is unlikely Ward Six will get $30-$40 million combined.

Ward Six elementary schools have gained enrollment recently, but those gains are not being realized in Ward Six middle schools. Most Ward Six elementary students do not attend Ward Six middle schools.

Does anyone know anything about Eliot-Hines Middle School?